Infusion bag



Dec. 31, 1963 R. BRANSTNER 3,

INFUSION BAG Filed Sept. 20, 1961 ww-wme United States Patent 3,115,967 INFUSION BAG Rudolf Branstner, Fellbach, Wurttemberg, Germany,

assignor to Firma Fr. Hesser Mascliinenfabrik-Aktiengesellscliaft Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Sept. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 139,419 Claims priority, application Germany Oct. 6, 1960 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-.5)

This invention is concerned with an infusion bag comprising a tube of permeable material of high wet strength and having a retaining thread with a tag fastened thereto.

Known bags of this type are in the form of a singleor multi-chamber flat bag having a thread which is fastened to the upper edge thereof and has attached thereto, a tag for suspension of the bag in the infusing liquid. This type of bag has the drawback that, when the bag is suspended in an infusion vessel, the contents of the bag slip downwards and accumulate in the lower part of the bag, thereby impairing infusion of the contents of the bag by the infusing liquid.

To obviate this drawback, according to the present invention, we provide an infusion bag made of a tube of permeable material of high wet strength which is folded flat to form an upper central section and which has two ends turned over on to said upper central section and connected together to form a closure a retaining thread attached to said closure, and a tag secured to the end of said retaining thread remote from the closure, whereby, on suspension of the bag by said retaining thread and tag in an infusing liquid, the bag assumes a shape having a substantially sectoral cross section.

When a bag according to the present invention is suspended in an infusion vessel, the bag space containing the contents remains substantially in a horizontal position, and thus the contents of the bag are spread in a thin layer in the bag space; this ensures a good and quick infusion.

According to a further feature of the invention, V- shaped folds are provided at the junctions of folded over end parts and the central part of the tube, and this enhances the infusion effect since, when such a bag is suspended in the liquid concerned, the upper side of the central part of the tube is more accessible to the infusing liquid.

Furthermore, in accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the contents of the bag are spread substantially over the central part of the bag or over the central part and the two folded over end parts of the bag.

Two embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the infusion bag of the first embodiment in the folded position.

FIGURE 2 shows the infusion bag according to FIG- URE 1 in the suspended position.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the second embodiment in the folded position.

FIGURE 4 shows the infusion bag according to FIG- URE 3 in the suspended position, and

FIGURES 5 and 6 are cross sections through two different kinds of bag tubes.

In the production of infusion bags according to the invention, a tube 1 of permeable material of high wet strength is formed, for example, from a blank by the formation of either an overlap seam 2 (FIGURE 5) or a fold 3 (FIGURE 6), according to choice. After the appropriate filling material has been put into the central portion 4 of the tube 1, the two end portions 5, 6 thereof are folded over on to the upper surface of the central 3,115,967 Patented Dec. 31, 1963 ice portion 4 so that practically only the central portion 4 of the tube 1 contains the filling material. The two end portions 5, 6 are placed together and then folded over in the known way and connected together at their ends by means of a connecting element, for example a staple 7 or the like, thus forming a closure 8 which can then be turned over to lie fiat on the central part of the bag for storage or transportation. In addition, a retaining thread 9 is fastened to the closure 8 by the element 7 and has, attached to the other end thereof, a tag 10.

When the bag shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 is used, it hangs by the retaining thread 9 and, as a result of the weight of its contents, assumes a shape having a substantially sectoral cross section, the central part 4 forming the arcuate section carrying the filling material and the end parts 5, 6 of the tube forming the empty or substantially empty sides.

When the bag is immersed in the infusing liquid in this shape, the liquid can flow from all sides around the central portion 4.

In the second embodiment shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, V-shaped folds 11, 12 are formed at the junctions of the central portion 4 and the end portions 5, 6 of the tube and, when the bag is in the suspended position, this increases the area of the sectoral cross section of the bag and thus the passage between the central portion 4 and the end portions 5, 6 of the tube.

The longitudinal seam of the tube is, in both embodiments, preferably formed along the central line of the upper side of the tube on to which the end portions 5, 6 of the tube are folded.

Finally it is to be pointed out that the contents of the bag can not only be disposed in the central portion 4 of the tube, but can also be readily disposed in the end portions 5, 6 thereof and be, in fact, spread practically uniformly over the whole length of the tube. The ends of the end portions 5, 6 may, of course, be closed not by folding, but by gluing or welding in cases where heatsealable bag materials are used. Likewise, in this case, the retaining thread can also be fastened to the bag by welding.

I claim:

1. An infusion bag comprising a tube of permeable material of high wet strength, said tube having a substantially flattened central portion on each side of the central portion, said end portions being folded over on to one surface of the central portion, the ends of the end portions being connected together to form a closure, a retaining thread attached to said closure, and a tag secured to the end of said retaining thread remote from the closure, whereby, on suspension of the bag by said retaining thread and tag in an infusing liquid, the bag assumes a shape having a substantially sectoral cross section with the central portion of the bag being in a horizontal position.

2. .An infusion bag comprising a tube of permeable material of high wet strength, said tube having a substantially flattened central portion and an end portion on each side of the central portion, said end portions being folded over on to one surface of the central portion to provide V-shaped folds at the junctions of said end portions and the central portion, the ends of the end portions being connected together to form a closure, a retaining thread attached to said closure, and a tag se cured to the end of said retaining thread remote from the closure, whereby on suspension of the bag by the retaining thread and tag in [an infusing liquid, the bag assumes a shape having a substantially sectoral cross section with the central portion of the bag in a horizontal position.

3. An infusion bag comprising a tube of permeable material of high wet strength, said tube having a substantially flattened central portion and an end portion on each side of the central portion, said end portions being folded over on to one surface of the central portion, the ends of the end portions being connected together to form a closure, a retaining thread attached to said closure, and a tag secured to the end of said retaining thread remote from the closure, the contents of the bag being disposed within the central portion whereby on suspension of the bag by said retaining thread and tag in an infusing liquid, the bag assumes a shape having a substantially sectoral cross section with the central portion of the bag being in a horizontal position.

4. An infusion bag comprising a tube of material of high wet strength, said tube having a substantially flattened central portion and an end portion on each side of the central portion, said end portions being folded over on to one surface of the central portion to provide V-shaped folds at the junctions of said end portions and the central portion, the ends of the end portions being connected together to form a closure, a retaining thread attached to said closure, and -a tag secured to the end of said retaining thread remote from the closure the contents of the bag being disposed Within the central portion whereby on suspension of the bag by the retaining thread and tag in an infusing liquid, the bag assumes a shape having a substantially sectoral cross section with the central portion of the bag in a horizontal position.

5. An infusion bag comprising a tube of permeable material of high wet strength, said tube having a substantially flattened central portion and an end portion on each side of the central portion, said end portions being folded over on to one surface of the central portion, the ends of the end portions being connected together to form a closure, the contents of the bag being disposed in the central portion and the end portions of the bag, a retaining thread attached to said closure, and a tag secured to the end of said retaining thread remote from the closure, whereby on suspension of the bag by said retaining thread and tag in an infusing liquid, the bag assumes a shape harving a substantially sectoral cross section with the central portion of the bag being in a horizontal position.

6. An infusion bag comprising a tube of permeable material of high wet strength, said tube having a substantially flattened central portion and an end portion on each side of the central portion, said end portions being folded over on to one surface of the central portion which is folded fiat to form an upper central section and which has two ends turned over on to said upper central section to provide V-shaped folds at the junctions of said end portions and the :central portion, the ends of the end portions being connected together to form a closure and the contents of the bag being disposed in the central section and the end portions of the bag, a retaining thread attached to said closure, and a tag secured to the end of said retaining thread remote from the closure, whereby on suspension of the bag by the retaining thread and tag in an infusing liquid, the bag assumes a shape having a substantially sectoral cross section with the central portion of the bag in a horizontal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,186,087 Yates Jan. 9, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 308,355 Germany Oct. 10, 1918 816,805 Great Britain Julv 9-2, 1959 

1. AN INFUSION BAG COMPRISING A TUBE OF PERMEABLE MATERIAL OF HIGH WET STRENGTH, SAID TUBE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLATTENED CENTRAL PORTION ON EACH SIDE OF THE CENTRAL PORTION, SAID END PORTIONS BEING FOLDED OVER ON TO ONE SURFACE OF THE CENTRAL PORTION, THE ENDS OF THE END PORTIONS BEING CONNECTED TOGETHER TO FORM A CLOSURE, A RETAINING THREAD ATTACHED TO SAID CLOSURE, AND A TAG SECURED TO THE END OF SAID RETAINING THREAD REMOTE FROM THE CLOSURE, WHEREBY, ON SUSPENSION OF THE BAG BY SAID RETAINING THREAD AND TAG IN AN INFUSING LIQUID, THE BAG ASSUMES A SHAPE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY SECTORAL CROSS SECTION WITH THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE BAG BEING IN A HORIZONTAL POSITION. 